Here are all the top athletes skipping the Rio Olympics over Zika fears

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For many athletes, competing in the Olympics is an honor they've spent their entire career working towards. But because this summer's games are being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a number of top athletes are refusing to attend.

The current Zika virus outbreak that has been ravaging Latin America and the Caribbean began in Brazil in May 2015. The country has been hit harder than any others, with 91,387 likely Zika cases registered in Brazil from just February to April this year alone.

The virus is known to cause a birth defect called microcephaly, in which babies are born with underdeveloped brains and abnormally small heads. It can also cause rare autoimmune disorders in adults, and can be transmitted sexually from an infected male to his partner.

Experts say that 80% of adults infected with Zika don't exhibit any symptoms, while the remaining 20% usually have a rash, fever and eye pain.

Here are some of the high-profile athletes that have decided to skip the Olympics to avoid potential Zika exposure.

Australian golfer Jason Day

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The world's current number one ranked golfer, 28-year-old Jason Day of Australia, recently announced he was going to be skipping this year's Olympic games.

"The sole reason for my decision is my concerns about the possible transmission of the Zika virus and the potential risks that it may present to my wife's future pregnancies and to future members of our family. I have always placed my family in front of everything else in my life," Day said in a statement.

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American cyclist Tejay van Garderen

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Tejay van Garderen, 27, withdrew his name from Olympic contention, over fears for the potential complications Zika may cause for his pregnant wife, Jessica.

"If Jessica were not pregnant right now, assuming I was selected, I would go," van Garderen told CyclingTips. "But the fact is, she is pregnant. If we were just going to start trying, I'd say we could start trying six months after the Olympics. But when she has a baby in her belly, I don't want to take any chances."

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Irish golfer Rory McIlroy

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Golfer Rory McIlroy, a 27-year-old golfer from Ireland, is one of the highest profile athletes who decided to skip the games.

McIlroy ranked as the number one golfer in the world for 95 weeks between 2012 and 2015, so his decision was a big blow to the Olympic golf competition.

"Even though the risk of infection from the Zika virus is considered low, it is a risk nonetheless and a risk I am unwilling to take," McIlroy said in a statement.

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Golfer Graeme McDonald of Northern Ireland

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After McIlroy dropped out of the games, golfer Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland was given the chance to replace him. However, the PGA star's wife is pregnant, so he decided not to take McIllroy's place.

"I woke yesterday morning to the news that Rory McIlroy had withdrawn from the Irish Olympic golf team, putting me next in line for an automatic spot on the team," McDowell said in a statement.

"As many within golf will know, my wife Kristin is pregnant and due to have our second child just a couple of weeks after the Olympic golf competition concludes.

"I made the decision many months ago, before I was on the team, that I would not play or travel outside the US, where my family and I live, in the weeks running up to the birth. Unfortunately I will not therefore be available to replace Rory on the team."

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Fijian golf star Vijay Singh

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Vijay Singh is a superstar in the golf world, and was even ranked as the number one golfer in the world for 32 weeks in 2004.

But the 53-year-old told GolfChannel.com that he would be skipping this year's Olympics because of Zika.

"The timing of it, you know I have to focus over here [on the PGA Tour]. I would like to play the Olympics, but the Zika virus, you know and all that crap," he said.

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South African golfer Charl Schwartzel

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Charl Schwartzel, yet another top golfer, decided to skip the games because of Zika, as well. The 31-year-old South African golfer is a major name in his sport, having won the Masters in 2011.

Schwartzel told the Associated Press that he and his wife were planning to have more children, and that the risk of Zika was just too great.

"If I didn't want to have children, or if I was single, I'd play," Schwartzel said. "It's as simple as that."